


Tales of the City Lights

by shadowsfan



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: ALL THE ROMANCE, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, North Beach, Opposites Attract, San Francisco, Stavos romance, beat poets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-13
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-26 04:06:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4989601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowsfan/pseuds/shadowsfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stannis Baratheon is a cautious man who doesn’t believe in love at first sight, and the man on the balcony across the alley hanging his laundry out to dry is most likely a drug dealer or worse.  Davos Seaworth, on the other hand, believes in taking a chance if the man with the blue eyes peering through the bookstore window could be the one.  Will a chance encounter with a handsome stranger in the city by the bay change Stannis’ mind?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tales of the City Lights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vana/gifts).



_Semi-Charmed Life._

Davos twisted the colorful tie-dyed shirt over the bath tub, wringing out the excess water.  Might as well take advantage of the beautiful weather and do some laundry at home rather than at the coin-operated joint down the street ─ save the trip and some cash too.  Money was always tight in this expensive city by the bay.  The expense was one reason that Davos’ ex-wife and most of his friends gave for leaving.  The crowds, the traffic, and the fact that everyone else was leaving, also topped the list.   After years of complaining, Marya finally packed up and moved with their sons to Portland.  Davos couldn’t blame her.  The neighborhood had changed.  The free thinkers and government protesters of the sixties and seventies had been replaced by yuppies and investors.  Over the years the rents had skyrocketed and the vibe had changed for better or for worse, but Davos couldn’t leave.  He’d grown up here, and the city ─ the neighborhood of North Beach ─ was in his blood.  It wasn’t as if Marya should have stayed for him.  For the last few years theirs had been a marriage of convenience only.  It was time that she moved on and started a new life.  Davos was happy for her, but had to admit it was a little lonely these days.

 

Davos opened his window and leaned out onto the tiniest space ever to be called a balcony.  There was only about a foot of space before the iron rail.  The ad in the paper had described it as a Juliet balcony ─ so they could charge more rent, Davos figured.  Juliet would have to be anorexic to squeeze into that narrow opening.  The weather was gorgeous, although a little on the hot side.  That wasn’t unusual for this time of year.  He shook out his shirts one by one and hanged them over the railing to dry in the sun.  He couldn’t help but smile when he held up the Bob Marley “Legalize It”T-shirt that Sal brought him back from Jamaica. It was a multi-color tie-dye with a prominent marijuana leaf and Marley’s picture on the front.  Davos was the least likely to partake among his closest friends, since his job driving a forklift at the docks required random drug testing.   It had been a joke at the time, but he had kept it for sentimental reasons and because it was one of his most comfortable shirts. 

 

He’d just draped the colorful shirt over the rail and was enjoying the slight breeze when he glanced toward the building across the alley which housed the City Lights bookstore.  Clearly visible in the window below was the man least likely to be seen at that particular establishment.  He looked like a banker, not a fan of slam poetry or even a typical patron of a bookstore made infamous by its association with the Beat poets of the sixties.  He wore his navy pin-striped suit like armor ─ buttoned-up collar and precisely knotted tie, despite the fact that it was a swelteringly hot Sunday afternoon.  The man seemed uncomfortable as hell, scowling as he shoved himself closer to the narrow window screen as if searching for a means of escape.  He struggled with his tie, loosening it a bit before unbuttoning a single button at his collar and looking thoroughly disgusted with himself for having had to do so.  Davos found the gesture inexplicably sexy.  The man looked up unexpectedly and their eyes met.  Davos hadn’t known that eyes that blue existed outside of Photoshopped magazine layouts.  He smiled awkwardly, and the blue eyes widened in surprise before darting away as the man quickly turned his back.

 

Davos experienced a fleeting burst of disappointment, followed by embarrassment.  _Jesus, was he that hard up for a date that he was making doe eyes at random strangers now?_   It had been a long dry spell but that guy was clearly not his type, even if he _was_ attractive, in a repressed, conservative Republican kind of way.  Davos wondered what he was doing attending a Sunday afternoon poetry slam on the upper floor of Davos’ favorite bookstore.  Maybe he was an investor checking out the neighborhood.  Maybe he was a book publisher, or distributor, or a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman.  Davos laughed at his imagination churning out random explanations.  He was most definitely bored.

 

Davos puttered around the tiny kitchen for a few minutes and then fixed himself a cup of tea.  He stared at the newspaper, skimming a couple of articles on the latest election but not really absorbing much.  His brain kept fixating on blue eyes and that single collar button.  _Damn, why couldn_ _’t he get that guy out of his mind?_ Davos tossed the paper on the table and made for the bedroom to get dressed.  _Fuck it_.  He could use a drink.  He would get dressed and go down to his local bar, Vesuvio’s.  He needed a cold beer and some good company and it didn’t have a thing to do with the fact that after a poetry slam the audience tended to stop off there for a drink since it was right next door to City Lights.  No, that didn’t even enter into his decision.

 

_Wicked Game._

The air was stifling.  The tiny fan and single open window did little to dissipate the heat that concentrated in the cramped upper floor room that was filled to capacity with hot, sweaty bodies.  In fact, Stannis was certain that the room was crowded beyond the legal limit.  Surely they would all perish in the event of a fire.  Why had he ever agreed to join Renly and Loras here in the first place?  Just because his brother’s husband was doing a reading at today’s poetry slam didn’t mean he had to come.  Renly’s friends were here.  It wasn’t as if Loras lacked supporters.  Yet when Renly insisted, Stannis had agreed.  Guilt ─ that was the reason.  He felt guilty that he had not attended Renly and Loras’ wedding due to a conflicting business trip. Hell, he felt guilty that he and Renly weren’t closer as brothers.  They hadn’t seen each other more often than once a year since Renly had graduated from Stanford and had become a successful publisher.  This would go a long way to make amends since Renly knew for a fact that Stannis hated poetry, especially avant garde poetry that was read at a notoriously subversive bookstore like City Lights.  Stannis knew that Renly’s enjoyment at his discomfort was probably greater than his pleasure would have been if Stannis had actually attended the wedding ceremony.

 

Stannis moved closer to the narrow window in an effort to gain some space and air.  It provided little comfort as the breeze was non-existent.  Eventually, Stannis was compelled to loosen the knot of his tie and unbutton the top button on his collar just to obtain a small measure of relief.  He glanced up at the taller building behind the bookstore that was blocking any hope of an air current and was startled to see a shirtless man wearing cutoffs hanging his laundry over the railing outside his apartment.  His salt and pepper beard was neatly trimmed and he had a physique that Stannis found appealing.   His well-defined muscles might have been honed in the gym, but the callouses on his hands told a more interesting story.  Stannis got the impression that the man was working class.  The Bob Marley tie-dye in his hands, and the fact that he was drying clothes over a balcony, railing supported his assumption.  Suddenly, the man looked up and caught him watching.  Instead of being annoyed at the invasion of his privacy, the man smiled.  There was something warm and inviting in his soft brown eyes and Stannis felt a bead of sweat break loose and trickle down his back as the temperature seemed to rise another few degrees.

 

A burst of applause startled Stannis and he turned his attention back into the room, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring at a total stranger.  The heat was causing his mind to wander.  If he didn’t at least pretend to listen to some of the drivel that Loras was spouting he would never hear the end of it.  Still, as he attempted to concentrate on the performance, Stannis couldn’t get the stranger’s face out of his mind.  Curiosity had gotten the better of him.  He wondered what the man did for a living.  How could he even afford to live in the city if he was working class?  Maybe he was a drug dealer ─ that would explain the shirt. _Legalize it_ ─ the man must at least be a user, or worse.  Stannis frowned.  Something about the thought saddened him.  The man’s face exuded a certain honesty, not the callousness of a criminal. 

 

Stannis shook his head, annoyed with himself.  The activities of a total stranger were of no importance.His mind was obviously searching for a distraction from the tedious poetry recitation.  A longer round of applause indicated that the show was over.  He looked up to see people congratulating Loras.  Stannis vowed to stop thinking of the attractive stranger at once and took his place in the line of well wishers.  He managed to do just that for the next hour.

 

 

_Somebody to Love._

“Don’t any of the buildings in this neighborhood provide proper ventilation?”  Stannis complained, struggling to open the window next to their booth a little wider.  They were seated on the upper floor of Vesuvio’s bar, across the alley from the bookstore.  There was a narrow booth in the back corner where they crowded in and some of Renly and Loras’ friends pulled up chairs.

 

“Brother, you know that the weather in the city changes constantly.  It will be cold in another hour and you’ll be complaining at the lack of heat.”  Renly laughed and his friends laughed with him, causing Stannis’scowl to deepen. 

 

Stannis couldn’t wait for the evening to end.  He would stay for another hour and then make his excuses.  He’d forgotten how little he had in common with his younger sibling and just how insufferable Renly could be when he was showing off for this friends.  He reminded himself that this is why he didn’t visit the city more often, keeping mostly to his quiet apartment in the small coastal town to the south.  He’d played the supportive brother long enough.  To make matters worse, the crowd spilling over from City Lights had overwhelmed the wait staff and their waitress was nowhere to be found.

 

Stannis peered over the distressed wooden rail to the crowded bar below, with its Tiffany lamps, jumble of assorted liquor bottles and curious black cat figurine.  The place seemed a bit seedy to him despite the fact that the majority of the patrons appeared to be tourists or trendy hipsters rather than neighborhood regulars.  Perhaps these _were_ the regulars.  The neighborhood did exude sort of an eclectic vibe.  He supposed that the atmosphere of the place appealed to people like Renly and Loras, but he preferred a more sedate and refined establishment.

 

“I’m going to find a waitress,” Stannis heard himself say, his body moving toward the stairs before his mind could dissuade him from the idea.  Considering there was no breeze and no A/C, he didn’t think a pitcher of water while they waited was too much to ask.  He ignored Renly’s parting criticism regarding his lack of patience.   After a few minutes of determined maneuvering, Stannis managed to elbow his way through the dense mass of humanity and up to the bar.  He was attempting to get the bartender’s attention when he sensed the heat of someone’s gaze like the sun on his face a few seconds before he turned and their eyes met.  _The drug dealer from the balcony._   The man was wearing nicely fitted jeans and a navy sweater.  Stannis tried unsuccessfully to ignore the few black and silver curls that escaped from the point of the V-neck, the image of the thick mat of chest hair he’d observed earlier annoyingly fixed in his mind.  When the man smiled warmly in recognition and nodded, Stannis’ body responded in a primal way that was at odds with his typical guarded reaction when meeting anyone new.  He placed both hands on the bar in an effort to steady himself.   This was unusual.  Why was he even remotely attracted to a potentially nefarious character who was clearly not his type?

 

The bearded man cleared his throat before speaking.  “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, you walk into mine,”he deadpanned doing a barely passable Bogart imitation.

 

“Excuse me?” Stannis’ scowl deepened, caught off guard by the man’s attempt at humor.

 

The man winced.  “It was supposed to be Bogart ─ from _Casablanca_.  Was it really that bad?”

 

“I understood the reference,” Stannis growled.  “I was confused by the relevance.  The line from the film refers to a lost love and unless I’m mistaken, the two of us have never met.” 

 

Stannis didn’t believe in coincidence and found the man’s presence here oddly disturbing.  Had he come looking for him for some reason?

 

“No, we haven’t met, but we made eye contact this afternoon.  I’m the guy from the balcony.” 

 

Stannis stared straight ahead pretending to be disinterested, but in the mirror above the bartender’s head he could see the guy studying his face.  He didn’t seem to be discouraged by Stannis’ cool reception.

 

“Weren’t you the uncomfortable-looking fellow at the poetry slam?”

 

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Stannis eyed the man suspiciously, “but I’m not interested in purchasing any of your _product_.  If you’ve followed me here assuming that I would be an easy mark, you are very much mistaken.”

 

“Product?  I’m not sure that I follow.  I’m not a salesman.”  The man appeared genuinely bewildered.  “I recognized you from earlier and I thought─”

 

“You thought that I might need some cannabis to help me relax?  The first bag is free and then you supply me with more at cost?”

 

The man paused for a moment, his brow wrinkling as he pondered Stannis’ questions until his eyes opened wide with understanding.  He began to laugh so hard that his face turned crimson and Stannis was concerned that he might choke.

 

“You think I’m selling weed because of the shirt?”  He sputtered, but quickly cleared his throat before continuing.  “That was a gag gift from a friend.  It was intended as a joke, but it’s a comfortable shirt so I still wear it occasionally.  I’m a dock foreman for a shipping company, definitely _not_ a stoner or a dealer.  Davos Seaworth.”

 

He extended his hand and Stannis took it, a wave of relief washing over him.  He fancied himself a good judge of character and he believed that Seaworth was being truthful.  He couldn’t fathom why it mattered so much to him that this man wasn’t a criminal but for some reason it did.  Perhaps he was just being friendly after all.  Stannis experienced a pang of embarrassment for his standoffishness. 

 

“Stannis Baratheon.  I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

 

“No apology necessary.  As I said before, I recognized you from the bookstore.”  He hesitated a moment as if unsure of his words.  “Frankly, you looked miserable.  If you don’t mind my saying, you don’t appear to be the sort of guy who frequents poetry slams.”

 

Stannis snorted a pinched laugh.  “No, I don’t mind.  I’ll take that as a compliment.”  He leaned closer to Davos’ ear, raising his voice to be heard over the noise of the other patrons.  “I prefer prose ─ historical non-fiction ─ to poetry.  I was attending a reading given by my brother-in-law.”

 

The bartender finally came closer and tossed a couple of coasters on the bar in front of them.  Davos glanced quickly at the beer list.

 

“I’ll have a pint of Anchor Summer and my friend will have─” Davos turned to Stannis expectantly.

 

“Water ─ with lemon and a pinch of salt.”

 

“Tap or bottle?”

 

“Get him the fancy kind and put it on my tab,”  Davos interjected, his eyes studying Stannis’ face for approval.

 

Stannis hesitated.  He wasn’t good in social situations and even worse at dating, but he was pretty certain from Davos’ expression that his gesture was intended as more than neighborhood hospitality.  He was slightly stunned and a little flattered to think that Davos might actually be be hitting on him. 

 

Stannis stifled the niggling voice in his head that insisted Davos wasn’t his type and called after the waiter, “Non-carbonated please!  I detest bubbles.”

 

 

_Castaways._

 

Davos pulled out his wallet and fished for a twenty.  Part of his brain wondered why he was still at Vesuvio’s talking to the most exasperating man he’d ever met.  Over the course of an hour Stannis had corrected his grammar no _fewer_ than three times, sent back his water for being the wrong temperature, and described in far too obsessive detail about how, when he was seventeen, his younger brother Renly had deliberately crushed Stannis’model airplane that he had spent months assembling.  Apparently it had never flown again.  Davos should have been ready to get the hell out of there.  But, then there was the other Stannis.  There was the Stannis that spoke about his daughter, and his blue eyes went all soft and warm and filled with wonder. There was the Stannis that looked at Davos as if he was amazed that Davos was still listening, and Davos wondered if he just might be the only one who ever _had_ listened.  When that Stannis appeared, another part of Davos’ brain fantasized about pushing Stannis into a stall in the men’s room and making out like teenagers.  Davos was as confused as hell, but he wasn’t ready to let Stannis Baratheon slip out of his life just yet.

 

“Stannis!  Have you been sitting at the bar sulking this entire time?  We thought you’d left.”

 

A bearded, thirtyish man in a trendy suit approached, his smile reminding Davos of a used car salesman.  Davos immediately pegged him as Stannis’ younger brother.  As if confirming his suspicions, Stannis’ jaw visibly tensed.

 

“I haven’t been sulking, I’ve been speaking with a friend ─Mr. Seaworth.” 

 

Davos immediately sensed by the uncomfortable expression on Stannis’ face and the way that he introduced him that he didn’t want Renly to know that they’d just met.  Stannis had told him that they weren’t close, so maybe he didn’t want his brother poking his nose into his love life.  Renly immediately pounced upon Stannis’ awkwardness like a lion on a wounded wildebeest.

 

“Mr. Seaworth!”  He shook Davos’ hand.  “I wasn’t aware that Stannis had any friends,”he paused for effect before adding “─ in the city.”  Renly laughed at his own joke, and his entourage of equally stylish young men and women who accompanied him laughed with him.  Stannis began to grind his teeth.

 

Davos realized that he’d only heard Stannis’ side of the story, but at this moment his brother _did_ seem like a real jackass.  Inexplicably, he experienced a passionate desire to come to Stannis’ defence.

 

“We haven’t seen each other in awhile.”  Davos offered, smiling at Renly.  It was the truth anyway.  “I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to catch up.  Although I should apologize for monopolizing his time.  Stannis told me that he was here to visit family.”

 

“Did he?”  Renly allowed his smile to slip briefly.  Davos couldn’t tell if Renly realized he was being rude or not.  It seemed as if teasing his brother was as normal for him as hiding his wounded pride was for Stannis.  He figured these two could use a good therapist to sort things out between them.  Before Davos could respond, Renly continued.  “No apology is necessary, Mr. Seaworth.  We were just about to leave this place and head somewhere more lively.  You’re welcome to join us.”  He glanced at Stannis and added, “That is, if it isn’t past my brother’s bedtime.”

 

“As a matter of fact, I was just about to ask Stannis if he’d like to join me for dinner.”

 

“You were?”  Stannis and Renly responded simultaneously as if equally shocked at the prospect of Stannis spending the evening socializing with someone other than family.

 

Davos looked directly at Stannis and met his gaze hopefully.  “I know this great Italian place up the street.”  Then he turned back to Renly and added, “if you don’t mind my stealing him for the night.”

 

“No, not at all.  I hope that you can get Stannis to loosen up a little and enjoy what this city has to offer.” 

 

Davos was pleased that Renly sounded like he meant it.  He turned his attention back to Stannis who answered, “I do like Italian food.”

 

Davos figured that was as much enthusiasm as he could expect from Stannis and quickly paid the bar tab as Renly’s party said their goodbyes.  Then, he and Stannis were free from social obligations and the crowded bar scene, walking side by side past the cathedral and the park as the sunlight faded and the city lights began to glimmer.

 

 

_Heart and Soul._

No relationship in Stannis’ life had ever worked out the way he wanted it to.  He wasn’t close with his brothers, his wife had left him and been awarded primary custody of their daughter, and after he’d come out, he’d never found a man who’d wanted to date him for more than a two-week period.  Somewhere along the line he’d made a vow never to get his hopes up.  Better to spot the problem at the beginning than risk investing too much time pursuing a relationship that was doomed to fail. 

 

With that in mind, Stannis tried hard to find fault with Davos.  After all, Davos was a dock worker and Stannis was CFO of a successful tech company.  What could the two of them possibly have in common besides a superficial sexual attraction?   Davos answered that question on the walk to the restaurant, pointing out architecturally interesting buildings and surprising him with his knowledge of their history.  Stannis was so enthralled that it seemed like only minutes had passed before they’d arrived at their destination.

 

The restaurant was tiny and crowded; would-be customers waited patiently outside for a table.  Stannis was doubtful they would be seated within the hour, but Davos knew the owner.  Recognizing Davos through the open doorway, he came outside and the two men exchanged a warm hug before Davos whispered something close to the man’s ear which caused him to glance and Stannis and smile.  The owner disappeared back inside leaving Stannis and Davos to mingle with the people waiting on the sidewalk.

 

“Have you ladies eaten here before?”

 

Stannis watched silently as Davos chatted up a group of three women, strangers it appeared, who were visiting from Los Angeles.  Stannis stood awkwardly to the side, not seeing any value in gaining information about people he would never see again.  Davos was too nice.  He was definitely a “people person” and Stannis was not.  _That_ was going to be a problem.  _That_ would make them incompatible.   Peering through the front windows, Stannis observed that the small tables were spaced closely together, with a single buffet style bench running behind them.  The diners were practically bumping elbows.  He cringed at the thought of Davos striking up conversations with those seated nearby and having to nod politely for the entire meal.  His jaw tensed reflexively.

 

“Our table is ready.”  Davos’voice snapped him back to the present. 

 

Stannis noticed Davos studying his expression closely, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes.  _Perfect._   Davos seemed to find his reluctance to mingle with strangers amusing.  He mentally added an odd sense of humor to the list of Davos’ faults.   His irritation gave way to surprise when the owner led them past the crowded front tables and into the back to a table that seemed impossibly secluded given the size of the place.  Davos tilted his head, arching an inquisitive eyebrow as he searched Stannis’ face for approval.  Stannis nodded and slipped into a chair as the owner handed them menus before disappearing.

 

“How did you manage this?”  Stannis asked as Davos browsed the wine list.

 

“The owner and I go way back.  I helped him drum up business when he first opened this place.  He owes me.” 

 

The waiter took their order and slipped away, leaving them to gaze at each other in soft candlelight.

 

“And before you jump to conclusions, ” Davos began, “no, I don’t bring men here all the time in order to impress them.  In fact, this is the first date that I’ve been on in months.”

 

So there it was ─ this _was_ a real date.  Stannis felt himself relax.  In the back of his mind he still harbored doubts as to why Davos asked him to dinner and he needed to hear it for himself.  The man was far too kind to be trusted.  Kind people did things out of kindness and not because they really wanted to.  Stannis did not wish to be the object of Davos’ pity.

 

“It has been the same for me, ”Stannis confessed.  “I don’t date very often.  I suppose at first I felt guilty, for not being honest with myself all those years  ─ and for causing Shireen and Selyse so much pain.  The divorce was hard on them both.”

 

“Don’t forget yourself, ” Davos added softly.  “It was hard on you too.”

 

Stannis found himself gradually opening up to Davos over dinner.  Not just the superficial stuff ─ where he went to school, when he married Selyse, his first job ─ but the emotional stuff that he never shared with anyone else.  He told Davos of how he felt alienated from his brothers and how he was afraid that Shireen would grow up never really knowing her father.  Davos listened attentively, absorbing it all ─ not out of pity, but because he had been there and he understood and he cared.  Davos cared.

 

When the dessert menus arrived, Stannis stopped talking abruptly, a feeling of dread tightening his stomach like a vice.  What was he doing, chattering away like a complete fool?  He’d never been this comfortable talking to anyone, and alarm bells were going off somewhere in the back of his mind.  He’d let his guard down too easily.  The doubts were creeping back into his consciousness ─ nagging at him, setting his teeth on edge.  Why was Davos still here listening to him?

 

“Why me?”  Stannis asked bluntly.  “I know that the question is cliche, but why is a guy like you interested in someone like me?”

 

“Besides the fact that I find you sexy as hell?”  Davos smiled, his dark eyes sparkling seductively in the candlelight.  Stannis stared unblinkingly, his expression blank. 

 

Davos snorted.“Flattery will get me nowhere with you, I see.  How about this ─  you looked as if you were in need of rescuing and I wanted to be the one to save you.” 

 

He paused a moment before laughing and shaking his head.  “What does that say about me I wonder?  Makes me sound like a kinky bastard.”

 

“Not at all.  I think it’s rather ─ admirable.”  Stannis attempted a smile, but wasn’t sure if he’d pulled it off.  Davos was looking at him expectantly.  “Listen,” Stannis began slowly, searching for the right words.  Davos deserved to be told the truth straight away, and not led to believe there was a future for the two of them.  “I don’t think this is going to work out the way you─”

 

“Come home with me,” Davos interrupted with a sudden intensity that Stannis found startling. 

 

Stannis began to shake his head when Davos moved quickly, the legs of his chair scraping across the floor as he scooted closer and leaned in so that Stannis was forced to look at his face.  The words poured from Davos’ mouth in a jumble, depriving Stannis of the opportunity to speak. 

 

“I’ve learned that you’re a skeptical man.  I know that you don’t trust _this_ because it’s too perfect.  Our meeting was fate, or destiny, or love at first sight, and you don’t believe in any of that bullshit!”  He kept his voice low but the passion with which he spoke was unmistakable.   “You don’t believe that anything will work out the way that you want because it’s never happened to you.  Fuck, Stannis, it’s never happened to me either!  But, I know as certain as I know my own name that if I let you go back to your hotel tonight that we will never see each other again and that would be a mistake that we would both regret.” 

 

Davos’ hand found Stannis’ and he squeezed his fingers, pausing for the first time.  His voice was thick with emotion when he continued.  “That’s why I’m asking you to come home with me.”

 

Stannis saw from the heat in his eyes that Davos truly believed everything he was saying.  He knew he should excuse himself at once and get as far away from this man as possible.  He’d only known Davos Seaworth for a few hours.  He could be a lunatic for all he knew.  He still couldn’t completely rule out the possibility of his being a criminal.  His better judgment cried out for him to run, but as he stared into those liquid brown eyes he felt something deep within his chest give way. He had the distinct sensation of falling, as in off of a cliff or an elevator dropping.  For a moment he was terrified.

 

“Jesus, I know I sound crazy.  We’ve only just met.”  Davos pulled his hand away, apparently taking Stannis’ hesitation as rejection.  “I didn’t mean it as a hookup.  We don’t have to _do_ anything if you don’t want─”

 

“Yes─  Yes.”  Stannis heard himself say, once with hesitation and then once more with conviction.  He then took Davos’ hand before he could change his mind.  “Let’s go.”

 

  

_Any Way You Want It._

 

“I’m going to head upstairs.  I’ll find you when it’s over.” 

 

Davos gave Stannis a quick peck on the cheek and left him in the biography section, back stiffened and glancing around to see if anyone had noticed before the corners of his mouth twitched upwards, forming a slight smile.   Davos hummed a tune as he climbed the well-worn stairs to the poetry reading room.  He knew that Stannis hated public displays of affection, but Davos had no problem with taking liberties in City Lights, the place where they first met.  His favorite bookstore now stirred romantic feelings whenever he went there with his partner of six months, so Stannis would just have to deal with it. 

 

Stannis was resistant to change, but Davos felt that after the requisite period of adjustment they had finally settled into a pleasant routine. Sunday afternoons were typically spent at City Lights, where a poetry slam took place once a month.  Loras had become a rather popular participant and they made it a point to attend when he was presenting a new work.  Davos attended, that is, while Stannis was content to linger downstairs and catch up on his reading.  They usually ended up at Vesuvio’s afterwards, with Davos’ presence ensuring that Renly and Stannis didn’t get into any lengthy squabbles.  Overall, Davos thought that the brothers had grown closer over the past few months and he was proud to have had a hand in that.

 

Given their slow start, Davos wasn’t at all certain that he and Stannis would still be together at this point in time.   After that single impulsive act, coming home with Davos that fateful night, Stannis reverted to his more cautious nature and didn’t perform another impulsive act for days.  Davos had never really considered that when he’d told Stannis they didn’t have to _do_ anything that they wouldn’t do _anything_.  Stannis entrenched himself on Davos’ secondhand sofa and had slept there for the next five nights, watching Davos’ every move as if evaluating him for a position in his employ rather than a potential lover. 

 

_Make yourself at home,_ Davos had told him and Stannis had, moving his things from the hotel and working from his laptop out of the apartment during the day while Davos went to work at the docks.  The first evening Stannis found out that Davos didn’t cook and they ordered Chinese takeout.  The second evening Davos discovered that Stannis was a wonderful cook and he’d come home to a meal of delicious lemon chicken and asparagus with new potatoes on the side and a fully stocked refrigerator.  They quickly found that they had a mutual love for Giants baseball.  Davos couldn’t afford cable and his television reception was spotty, so they ended up listening to the radio broadcast the third night and Stannis surprised Davos with tickets on the fourth.  Each night before bed they danced around each other washing up and brushing their teeth over the single bathroom sink.  Stannis of course refused to store his toothbrush in the plastic “Escape from Alcatraz”cup that Davos used and instead stored his own electric toothbrush in a disposable ziplock bag, which he changed nightly, on the washstand.  Rather than irritating Davos, their differences _─_ or Stannis’ eccentricities as some would see them _─_ made him even more fascinating.  Davos quickly found himself falling for the attractive man with the startling blue eyes.

 

Not so much as a chaste kiss passed between them during this time, but at least Stannis had stayed and had not retreated to the safety of his quiet coastal village.  Davos was determined to be patient with Stannis and to wait for as long as it took.  That’s what he told himself, while deep down he was terrified of the possibility that Stannis would never be ready for a relationship ─ that they were just too different.  The uncertainty of it all ─ the anticipation ─ made it that much more satisfying when on the sixth night Davos was awakened by a shifting of weight on the mattress and found Stannis, dressed only in boxers, slipping beneath the sheet beside him.

 

_“Is this what_ _─?_ _”_

Davos didn’t allow him to finish the question, but abruptly sat up and silenced him with his lips, kissing him as gently as he could given that he’d fantasized about this moment every night for the past week.

 

_“Is this what you want?_ _”_ he’d asked in return, unable to keep his voice completely steady and hating that he sounded like a desperate teenager on the brink of his first time. 

 

Stannis merely nodded and reached for him, kissing him soundly.  Davos learned then that once Stannis had made up his mind to do something, there was no further hesitation on his part.  While he might be temperate in other aspects of his life, Stannis made love with an unexpected enthusiasm that soon erased any doubts Davos may have had regarding his desire for intimacy.  Sometimes Davos wondered, given his willingness to experiment, if Stannis read more than biographies when he left him alone in the bookstore.

 

Davos realized that he was blocking the stairs as a young man wearing skinny jeans and Birkenstocks passed him, jostling him back to reality.   Davos also realized that his face was flushed from thoughts of nights spent in bed with Stannis.  He knew he must look like a lunatic sometimes, daydreaming and smiling in the middle of the day, in the middle of a crowded bookstore or cafe.  He really didn’t give a fuck what people thought.  He was in love.  Sure, he and Stannis had their differences.  He still hadn’t brought himself to admit to Stannis that he thought pot should be legalized.  He would save that argument for another time.  But, despite their differences he could see a future with Stannis _─_ he could picture them growing old together, here _─_ in his neighborhood, in his beautiful city by the bay. 

 

 

“Love is all.” _─_ Jack Kerouac.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I made [Vana](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Vana/works) beta her own gift, so thanks for that! Also, thanks for showing me around your beautiful city. The places you showed me were the inspiration for this fic. All the places in this fic exist and it was very hot in that bookstore that afternoon. Please visit the beautiful San Francisco if you can!
> 
> Here is a picture of Vesuvio's bar from the seat Stannis would have been looking over the rail [Bar pic](http://shadowsfan.tumblr.com/post/131094029538/tales-of-the-city-lights-shadowsfan-a-song-of)


End file.
